


Meant to Be

by Golden_Werecat



Series: Soulmate Verse [1]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Happy Ending, M/M, Monologue, POV Steve Rogers, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Steve Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers-centric, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 13:50:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21393232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Golden_Werecat/pseuds/Golden_Werecat
Summary: So many people were obsessed with the thought of finding their soulmate, their other half. They spent hours obsessing over their words and what they would mean for their futures. Steve though? He wasn’t all that keen on finding his.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Soulmate Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1542316
Comments: 6
Kudos: 141





	Meant to Be

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in two parts. This first one is Steve's POV and the second is Bucky's. I wasn't sure if I should combine them when posting so let me know if I should post a combined version.
> 
> Also I have older Bucky in this to make it work. Stay turned for angsty defensive Bucky.

** Age 12 **

So many people were obsessed with the thought of finding their soulmate, their other half. They spent hours obsessing over their words and what they would mean for their futures. Steve though? He wasn’t all that keen on finding his. His mother was always optimistic that he would find that person and they would be perfect together, but it was kind of difficult to be optimistic with “Why are you so small and ugly?” scrawled across your inner thigh. It wasn’t painting a very promising future, that’s for sure. The longer Steve went without finding “the one” the longer he was guaranteed to be a midget, an ugly one apparently. Joy.

** Age 13 **

No one knew where the marks came from. All anyone really knows is that on a person’s eleventh birthday the first words their soulmate will ever speak to them scrawl themselves somewhere across their body in their soulmate’s handwriting. Everyone has one of these marks. The marks show up in a rich black color. It’s seen as a true black because nothing else ever seems to match it. As long as a person’s soulmate is alive the mark stays a rich black color, but when the soulmate dies the mark fades to grey. It was a horrifying thing when the marks faded. It was considered the worst thing one can go through. Many believed that was why the elderly followed each other quickly, their bodies not able to handle the pain.

Steve sometimes envied his classmates with “You’re so beautiful”, “You’re the one” or even “Hello” scrawled across their skin. He had even once wished that his mark would fade. Thankfully his mark was not in a place he could show off in public. It would have only made the bullying worse. Even Bucky had a more positive mark with “Wanna play?” inked along the inside of his left elbow. Now that they were finally entering adulthood with Bucky’s mysterious soulmate still not found it was starting to take on a more…adult tinge. So, Bucky started to flirt. Everyone was flirted with in case they were the one and Steve stayed lurking in his corner dreading his first meeting.

Steve had spent hours alone staring at his soul mark. There were times that he felt there was something familiar about the writing. He could’ve sworn he had seen the same writing somewhere before. He had tried asking his mother if she recognized it, but she remained tight lipped and informed him that he would have to figure it out on his own. She always seemed to get a little bit more amused every time he and Bucky would rant to each other about mothers and unhelpfulness.

** Age 14 **

It wasn’t until Steve received Bucky’s first letter that it clicked. The Barnes family had saved up enough to finally go see the rest of their family in Virginia. They would be gone for a month, but Bucky promised that he would write. It would be the first time they were apart for any significant amount of time and Bucky promised to write. When Steve looked at the letter Bucky’s handwriting looked so similar to his mark, but it couldn’t be. Could it? Could the answer have really been so close for so long and he was just too blind to see it? It didn’t happen very often, but sometimes soulmates would meet before they turned eleven. What if the reason they have yet to hear their words was they had been said years before?

Steve waited to tell Bucky. It didn’t seem like the kind of thing one should write in a letter, but he couldn’t stop himself from telling Bucky as soon as he got back. It was actually more like screaming in his face as soon as he opened the door. It all came rushing out in one breath. Bucky hadn’t responded for a few minutes. He had just frozen in the open doorway. Then he had shut the door in Steve’s face. Steve realized his error. The two of them had always been best friends, almost like brothers. What if that’s all Bucky ever saw him as? Where were they supposed to go from here? Could they really try to be a romantic couple?

They avoided each other for two weeks. Two long miserable weeks where Steve was alone. Steve was trying to give Bucky space, really, he was, but he was miserable. Bucky was the one person, besides his mother, who had always been there. It didn’t help that the bullies noticed his much larger friend was no longer there to back him up. Steve found himself constantly sending pleading looks at Bucky when he could see out of both eyes. Even if they couldn’t be soulmates couldn’t they at least still be friends?

Steve was almost at the point of sitting outside Bucky’s door like a stray looking for a home when Bucky finally decided to talk to him again. They shared pleasantries and talked about the weather. Steve couldn’t remember it ever being that awkward before. Finally, Steve couldn’t take it anymore.

“Can’t we at least still be friends!?” He blurted. Their moms had been friends since they were teenagers, so they were always going to run into each other anyway.

“W-what? What are you talking about punk?” Bucky looked startled and Steve felt his heart break a little more. Did Bucky not even consider that a possibility anymore. Still, he had to try.

“I miss you Buck. Even if we can’t be together can’t we at least still be friends?” he pleaded. Please, just please let him say yes.

“You don’t want to be together?” Now Bucky looked sad. Could it be possible?

“I do! More than anything. I thought you didn’t want to. You shut the door in my face.” That had been the part that hurt the most. He hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye.

“Stevie” Bucky’s voice was soft. “I’ve spent the last three years planning how I was gonna dismember and hide the body of the asshole who was stupid enough to say those awful things to you. My first thought was that _I was that asshole_ and then I thought you were avoidin’ me. I didn’t notice the looks until yesterday.”

“No Buck. You would have said these words when we were still little. L-like mine.” Steve felt himself turn red. “And I was trying to give you space.”

“Yeah I figured that out punk. The big doe eyes were a bit of a clue.” Bucky was smiling again now.

“So?” Steve felt himself returning that smile. His own turning a bit impish. He unconsciously started to lean towards Bucky.

“C’mere punk.” Steve felt his toes curl as soon as Bucky’s lips touched his. It was perfect.

** Elsewhere **

“Do you think our special children have figured it out yet?”

“It has taken them a ridiculously long time hasn’t it? I had a good laugh when mine told me his words.”

“At least he told you. I had to find out on my own.”

“With how mine are placed I don’t think I would have found out otherwise.”

“You would have been able to find a way. Like always. Yours would have gotten over it.”

“He might’ve had an asthma attack from the mortification.”

“I wonder what they could possibly be fighting about that has caused them to spend so much time apart recently.”

“I know. Mine normally can’t stop himself from trailing after yours. Like a puppy.”

“It’s so cute, though. Well I better be heading home, Sarah. I have to start dinner.”

“Goodbye Winni.”


End file.
